Forum Wednesday on housing discrimination in the city

WCity Council member Adam McFadden will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, February 22, on housing discrimination. McFadden introduced legislation last summer that would prohibit landlords and property managers from discriminating against potential renters based on their actual or perceived source of income.

The discrimination locks people into poor neighborhoods, McFadden has said, preventing them from improving their lives. It also ensures that the city's concentration of poverty continues, he said.

“I want to be clear, because there is a lot of misinformation circulating about this legislation,” McFadden said. “In no way does the legislation mandate that people receiving assistance are guaranteed a specific rental. This legislation is about access; it’s about giving people a chance. The way our current system is set up, people who are receiving income assistance for housing can be denied or refused before they apply for an apartment.”

In the past, landlords have said that the problem has to do with the system, not discrimination. Landlords can be left holding the bag if the renter’s source of income suddenly gets cut off, they’ve said.

The legislation has been sitting in committee since July 2016. Wednesday's hearing is at 5:30 p.m. in City Council chambers at City Hall, 30 Church Street.